In the clay target shooting the TRAP is well known, wherein you shoot at a series of clay targets exiting from a box launcher. The shooter, who usually has a double shot firearm, knows the height and direction of the targets, that are launched from the box launcher always in the same way. The ability of the shooter is to intercept each target, taking into account that the time between two targets launches is variable. Usually, there are two box launchers, each one launching targets on trajectories that are at different height from the ground. The targets can have different shapes according to the type of trajectory they shall trace in the shooting area.
The trajectory of the axially symmetrical clays targets is usually quite predictable by the most experienced shooters; thus, the axially symmetrical clays have been replaced by flying targets so shaped as to trace more unpredictable trajectories, in order to make hitting the target more challenging. To this end, in the '60s a target, commonly called “helice”, has been designed and constructed; it comprises a central body made of flexible plastic and a helical body, provided with two opposite blades and made of rigid plastic. This kind of targets are used in the discipline called “electrocibles”. The central body of the target, usually named as “witness cap”, is shaped similarly to the convex surface of a clay target. Therefore, the witness cap is connected in a snap-like manner to the helical body, to be detachable from that, which acts as a support of the same witness cap. In some cases, the helical (or finned) body has mushroom-shaped pins, which couple with housings provided in the peripheral part of the witness cap. It should be taken into account the fact that the material of which the witness cap is made is flexible; this means that, when hit by projectiles, it does not break, namely it elastically absorbs the energy of the projectiles, thus receiving a power contribution which influences, although in a limited manner, the motion thereof, given its aerodynamic structure.
Hitting the target is very challenging as the helice is flung quickly and at a small distance from the ground, so that it can skim over the ground zigzagging right and left, and then rises with the wind, making sudden and unpredictable swerves, similarly to the pigeons used in the past as moving targets. It should be noted that, according to the rules of this shooting discipline, the target is considered regularly hit only if the witness cap is completely dislodged from the finned body and lands within a given fenced area called ring. Otherwise, the shot is not considered valid. It is clearly understood that the hit received by the target by means of at least one projectile from a group (of spherical projectiles) must cause the fracture of the target and, in particular, of the helical body, thus the definitive separation of the witness cap from the helical body. If this does not happen, a portion of the helical body might remain connected to the witness cap, and the witness cap therefore falls within the ring together with helical body fragments, and this does not constitute a valid shot, i.e. the shooter does not score points. Therefore, the impossibility to guarantee the complete separation of the helical body fragments from the witness cap constitutes an additional risk variable that can compromise the shooter's performance without reason. Among the causes therefor, just by way of non-limiting example, there is the action of the wind, which could carry the witness cap outside the ring provided as given area to increase the score in the shooting competitions. Obviously, the above mentioned displacement outside the ring is also facilitated by the contribution to the rotation made by the set witness cap-helical body fragments, induced by the additional eccentric thrust transmitted by the shots hitting the target. This additional rotation adds aerodynamic lift to the blades of the helical body, resulting in an uncontrolled movement of the target.
In view of the above description, the uncontrolled movement induced by any helical body fragments still attached to the witness cap after the projectile shot can produce a particularly negative result due to the impossibility of controlling the witness cap falling trajectory once the target has been shot. Hence, all the efforts of the shooter to train for the physical and mental competition, can be frustrated.
In view of the above description it would be desirable to have available a target that, in addition to limiting and possibly to overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art, defines a new standard for this kind of targets in the “electocibles” discipline.